Bitch Media - Alison Bechdelhttp://bitchmagazine.org/taxonomy/term/9333/0
enAlison Bechdel's "Fun Home" Will Now Be a New York Musicalhttp://bitchmagazine.org/post/alison-bechdels-fun-home-will-now-be-a-new-york-musical
<p><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8408/10196867483_0e2d60baf9_o.jpg" alt="A promotional photo showing young alison sitting on a bed" width="550" height="410" /></p>
<p>Alison Bechdel’s graphic novel <em><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38990.Fun_Home" target="_blank">Fun Home</a>&nbsp;</em>is&nbsp;the first mainstream musical that centers on the story of a young lesbian, according to the show's creators.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The bestselling memoir about the relationship between the deep-thinking artist who grew up to pen comic strip <em><a href="http://dykestowatchoutfor.com/" target="_blank">Dykes to Watch Out For</a></em> and her unhappy, closeted father <a href="http://www.broadway.com/shows/fun-home/" target="_blank">premieres as a musical at the New York Public Theater</a> on October 22. Three women of different ages will play Alison, who spends the book reflecting from middle age on the tense childhood spent partly in the funeral home her parents operated.</p>
<p>The promotional photos of the show are pretty hilarious, if you've read the dark memoir. Here's the whole unhappy family dancing!&nbsp;</p>
<p><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7330/10196821596_9aef386811_o.jpg" alt="the cast dancing, doing jazz hands" width="549" height="366" /></p>
<p>And Alisons of all ages pondering their identities:&nbsp;</p>
<p><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3718/10196821556_f5e84065aa_o.jpg" alt="Three actresses staring into the distance" width="549" height="366" /></p>
<p>There are many challenges to adapting the complex, vulnerable graphic novel into musical theater, including how sexual orientation will work into the promotion of the show. As the <em>Slate</em> headline <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2013/10/08/fun_home_is_america_ready_for_a_musical_about_a_butch_lesbian.html" target="_blank">“Is America Ready for a Musical About a Butch Lesbian?”</a> makes clear, some producers may worry that straight audiences won’t go see a play that focuses on the story of a lesbian. The show’s promotional description on <a href="http://www.playbill.com/news/article/183040-PHOTO-CALL-New-Musical-Fun-Home-With-Judy-Kuhn-Michael-Cerveris-and-Alexandra-Socha-Plays-the-Public-Theater?tsrc=nx" target="_blank">Playbill</a> and <a href="http://www.broadway.com/shows/fun-home/" target="_blank">Broadway.com</a> don’t directly mention queerness at all—instead, they pitch the play as a mystery about a father and daughter:</p>
<blockquote><p>When her father dies unexpectedly, graphic novelist Alison dives deep into her past to tell the story of the volatile, brilliant, one-of-a-kind man whose temperament and secrets defined her family and her life. Moving between past and present, Alison relives her unique childhood playing at the family's Bechdel Funeral Home, her growing understanding of her own sexuality and the looming, unanswerable questions about her father's hidden desires.</p>
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<p>Clearly, queerness is central to this story and is a major crux of Bechdel’s memoir. As a straight person, I was drawn into Bechdel’s memoir in a large part because her sexuality—and her father’s—are a major part of the story from the get-go. The raw honesty of the book strikes readers immediately; <em>Fun Home</em> feels like a story Bechdel has waited a long time to tell and is writing exactly the way she wants.&nbsp; I hope the people promoting<em> Fun Home</em> the musical see the value in telling a compelling personal story, rather weakening the plot by going out of their way to make sure straight people feel invited to listen.</p>
<p>While the promotional text for the show downplays the queer aspects, it seems like show writer Lisa Kron is aware that she is in a tricky place balancing the significance of sexuality to the story and the desire to make the show resonate with straight audiences. &nbsp;“Musicals are traditionally the straightest of the straight, even though they were largely made by gay men. They're about a leading man and an ingénue,” Kron <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2013/10/08/fun_home_is_america_ready_for_a_musical_about_a_butch_lesbian.html" target="_blank">noted to <em>Slate</em></a>. She says she struggled to adapt the story in a sincere way, but with language that would make sense to straight folks.</p>
<p>Kron described feeling motivated to get <em>Fun Home</em> right after seeing several recent musicals where “there was a moment where someone would say the word&nbsp;<em>lesbian</em>&nbsp;as a non sequitur because it was funny. I’d be so on board, and then I’d be slapped in the face by it. It was just like,<em>&nbsp;This character’s a joke. This is not a person</em>."&nbsp;</p>
<p>As <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2013/10/08/fun_home_is_america_ready_for_a_musical_about_a_butch_lesbian.html" target="_blank">that interview reports</a>, several of the show’s songs deal directly with Alison’s sexuality. One called “Al for Short” is about young Alison imagining herself as a heroic rescuer of damsels and tune “Changing My Major” deals with Alison discovering sex in college.&nbsp;</p>
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http://bitchmagazine.org/post/alison-bechdels-fun-home-will-now-be-a-new-york-musical#commentsAlison BechdelbooksTheaterTeam QueerFri, 11 Oct 2013 23:00:14 +0000Sarah Mirk24353 at http://bitchmagazine.orgBitch in a Box: Holiday Gift Guide, Graphic Novels Editionhttp://bitchmagazine.org/post/bitch-in-a-box-holiday-gift-guide-comics-and-graphic-novels
<p><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6432241749_0d1847e807_o.jpg" alt="" width="447" height="74" /></p>
<p>Whether you're shopping for a long-time comics reader or someone who's new to the world of graphic novels (maybe you're just looking for a good page turner for yourself, we won't tell), here are some quality 2012 releases of the graphic persuasion.</p>
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<p><strong><img style="float: left; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8482/8229875719_21c01490d8_n.jpg" alt="cover of Aya: Love in the City, which features three young women (Aya and two others) peering from behind a post" width="227" height="320" /></strong><strong>Aya Collection (</strong><strong>Drawn &amp; Quarterly)<br /></strong><strong>Marguerite Abouet and Clement Oubrerie</strong></p>
<p>The Aya series, which follows the every day life of a middle-class community living in 1970s Ivory Coast, first reached English readers in 2008. Now you can have the six-part collection all in two volumes: Drawn &amp; Quarterly just released <em>Aya: Love in Yop City</em>, which collects the final three chapters of the series in one book. Like the first volume,&nbsp;<em>Aya: Life in Yop City</em>,&nbsp;you'll not only be treated to the story of 19-year-old Aya as she navigates romance, family, and her future, Abouet includes recipes, cultural context, and appendices that bring the world of Yop City into even richer detail. [<a href="http://www.drawnandquarterly.com/shopCatalogLong.php?st=art&amp;art=a4511616c673cf">Drawn &amp; Quarterly</a>]</p>
<p><strong>Recommended for:&nbsp;</strong>Fans of <a href="http://www.fantagraphics.com/browse-shop/los-bros.-hernandez-3.html">the Hernandez brothers</a> (the&nbsp;microcosm of Yop City will remind you of Palomar); Francophiles.<strong><br />Pair with:&nbsp;</strong><em>Persepolis</em>, Marjane Satrapi's seminal graphic novel and the main influence on Abouet to start writing comics.</p>
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<p><img style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8199/8230939222_accdd31bee_n.jpg" alt="Cover of Spit and Passion, which features a self-portrait of Cristy Road as a teenager, grungy, awkward, and clutching a Rolling Stone magazine featuring Green Day." width="246" height="320" /><strong>Spit and Passion (</strong><strong>Feminist Press)<br /></strong><strong>Cristy C. Road</strong><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p>You probably recognize Cristy Road's signature illustrations from various zines, records, and publications like <a href="http://www.incite-national.org/index.php?s=35">INCITE!</a>&nbsp;and Microcosm. Or maybe you read <a href="/post/smart-diggin-deep-with-cristy-c-road-art-queer-poc-zines-feminist-magazine-books-music">Devyn Manibo's rad conversation with the artist this summer</a>. Road's latest offering is <em>Spit and Passion</em>, an autobiographic account of her adolescent voyage through Cuban-American queer identity—as she puts it,&nbsp;"a tale on transforming the closet into a sanctuary by way of self-acceptance and my love for&nbsp;Green Day." Oooh and <a href="http://www.feministpress.org/books/christy-c-road/spit-and-passion">it's on sale at Feminist Press RIGHT NOW!</a></p>
<p><strong>Recommended for: </strong>Folks who will never threw out their punk tapes and patches; fans of Sister Spit.<strong><br /> Pair with: </strong>Mix CD of guilty (and not-so-guilty) pleasures from high school; <em>Distance Makes the Heart Grow Sick—</em><a href="http://www.croadcore.org/merch.htm">Road's collection of postcards available at her online store.</a></p>
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<p><strong><img style="float: left; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8338/8230939286_134f4fa2d8_n.jpg" alt="The cover of Are You My Mother, a close-up of a makeup trousseau with makeup and jewelry spread over a red counter." width="217" height="320" /></strong><strong>Are You My Mother? A Comic Drama (</strong><strong>Houghton Mifflin)<br /></strong><strong>Alison Bechdel</strong></p>
<p>The latest tome from living-comics legend Alison Bechdel has gotten a lot of well-deserved props from mainstream media—<em>Time</em> called it the #1 book of the year. Weaving memoir, history, dreams, and psychology theory like you've never read it before, you'll get lost in this spiraling account of Bechdel's relationship with her mother. [<a href="http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-9780618982509-0">Powell's</a>]</p>
<p><strong>Recommended for: </strong>People who "didn't think they would like a book of cartoons!"; lit crit dorks; mothers, daughters, thinkers.<br /><strong>Pair With:</strong> <em><a href="http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-9780618871711-0">Fun Home</a></em>, Bechdel's graphic novel about her father; <em>The Portable Jung</em>.</p>
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<p><img style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8070/8230939616_b34dc99b7b_n.jpg" alt="The bright, cartoony cover of No Straight Lines, featuring an ensemble of queer characters from comics. " width="241" height="320" /></p>
<p><strong>No Straight Lines: Four Decades of Queer Comics&nbsp;</strong><strong>(Fantagraphics)</strong><strong><br /></strong><strong>Various, edited by Justin Hall&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p>Thirty-five bucks is a steal for this collection of dozens of queer comics artists throughout the past several decades. Neither definitive nor canonical, it's still an amazing collection ranging from the margins to the mainstream. It's a historcal ode to the vibrant underground (of the underground) comics scene and testament to where queer comics are today<em>—</em>oh, and it will make you laugh, weep, and tell all your friends about it, like any good comic book. Get lost in discovering new artists and revisiting your favorites. [<a href="http://www.fantagraphics.com/browse-shop/no-straight-lines-four-decades-of-queer-comics-february-2012-2.html">Fantagraphics</a>]</p>
<p><strong>Recommended for: </strong>People who think "alternative comics" and think Robert Crumb; a coffee table in need of some literary love.<br /><strong>Pair with: </strong><a href="/support-feminist-media/gay-genius"><em>Gay Genius</em> (available at Bitchmart!)</a>, a contemporary collection of queer comics artists that picks up where <em>No Straight Lines</em> ends; donation to <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/832892268/the-big-feminist-but"><em>Big Feminist But</em> Kickstarter</a>.</p>
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<p><strong><img style="float: left; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8199/8230939250_21175955c3_n.jpg" alt="A picture of the Oregon History Comics Collection: a small boxset with ten colorful minicomics inside. Next to it is the mini comic on the Portland Black Panther Party, featuring the iconic black fist on an orange background" width="320" height="168" /></strong></p>
<p><strong>Oregon History Comics (</strong><strong>Dill Pickle Club)<br /></strong><strong>Various, edited by Sarah Mirk</strong><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p>History? BORING. Not so fast<em>—</em>even folks who don't live in Oregon will love digging into Oregon History Comics, a series of ten minicomics exploring the state's radical and under-recorded history. Travel back in time to the Katrina-esque Vanport Flood or the women's suffrage movement; and revisit more recent history like the local Black Panther chapter and the X-Ray Cafe. Edited by Sarah Mirk, each comic has a different illustrator and they're collected in a smart gift box that looks great on any shelf. Each comic is also <a href="http://dillpickleclub.bigcartel.com/product/the-streets-of-chinatown">available for individual purchase</a>, for an intelligent and accessible stocking stuffer. [<a href="http://dillpickleclub.bigcartel.com/product/oregon-history-comics-vol-1-10">Dill Pickle Club</a>]<strong><br /> <br /> Recommended for: </strong>Obscure-history buffs; the Occupy activist on your list.<br /><strong>Pair with: </strong>Membership to local historical society; subscription to <em><a href="http://www.symboliamag.com/">Symbolia</a></em>, forthcoming tablet magazine of illustrated journalism.&nbsp;</p>
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<p><img style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8343/8230939320_3a8e2473ec_n.jpg" alt="The cover of Flannery O'Connor's cartoon book, featuring one of her linocuts of some straggly, forlorn looking characters sitting on a couch. " width="320" height="260" /></p>
<p><strong>Flannery O'Connor: The Cartoons (Fantagraphics)<br />Edited by Kelly Gerald</strong></p>
<p>You probably know that Flannery O'Connor is one of America's signature storytellers. Her short stories have informed the craft of writing for decades. But did you know she raised peacocks? Oh, you did. DID YOU KNOW SHE MADE COMICS? Working with pen and linoleum cuts, her one-panel comics echo the brevity and subtle humor of her stories. And just like her fiction, they're relevant today. [<a href="http://www.fantagraphics.com/browse-shop/flannery-o-connor-the-cartoons-dec.-2011-3.html">Fantagraphics</a>]</p>
<p><strong>Recommended for:</strong> The literary reader who has everything; people who think <em>New Yorker</em> cartoons are hilarious.<br /><strong>Pair with:</strong> <a href="http://www.fantagraphics.com/browse-shop/heads-or-tails-with-special-offer.html">Lilli Carré's <em>Heads or Tails</em></a>, the latest from a Chicago comics artist whose stories and art are reminiscnet of the Southern Gothic tradition;&nbsp;<em>Mystery and Manners</em>, O'Connor's book on writing.&nbsp;</p>
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<p><img style="float: left; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" src="/sites/default/files/imagecache/product/jackie_1.jpg" alt="A picture of the Jackie Ormes illustration that graces the mugs at Bitchmart. Jackie Ormes, a young African American woman during the 40s, is portrayed on a turquoise background, her name on a banner beneath. " width="291" height="329" /></p>
<p><strong>And for the comics lover who has everything ...</strong></p>
<p>At Bitchmart you can grab your very own <a href="/support-feminist-media/adventures-in-feministory-mug-jackie-ormes">JACKIE ORMES illustrated mug</a>, as part of our <a href="/support-feminist-media/adventures-in-feministory-groundbreakers-mug-set">Adventures in Feministory "Groundbreakers" series</a>.&nbsp;Jackie Ormes is the creator of <em>Torchy Brown</em> and <em>Patty Jo 'n' Ginger, </em>and was&nbsp;the first African American woman to be a syndicated cartoonist. Get yours today then curl up with <em><a href="http://www.powells.com/biblio/61-9780472116249-0">Jackie Ormes: The First African American Cartoonist</a></em>.</p>
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<p><strong>Previously:</strong> <a href="/post/draft-bitch-in-a-box-holiday-gift-guide-fashion-forward-edition">Holiday Gift Guide, Fashion Forward Edition!</a></p>
http://bitchmagazine.org/post/bitch-in-a-box-holiday-gift-guide-comics-and-graphic-novels#commentsAlison BechdelAya de YopougoncomicsCristy C. Roadflannery o'connorgraphic novelqueer comicsBooksThu, 29 Nov 2012 22:54:19 +0000Kjerstin Johnson20184 at http://bitchmagazine.orgTales From The Crip: "The Paper Mirror: Drawing Alison Bechdel"http://bitchmagazine.org/post/tales-from-the-crip-the-paper-mirror-drawing-alison-bechdel
<p><img style="float: left; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8183/8120637874_5473609a00_n.jpg" alt="Alison Bechdel" width="320" height="199" />Renowned visual artist and educator Riva Lehrer has teamed up with brilliant cartoonist and graphic memoirist, Alison Bechdel in the new short film, <a href="http://www.thepapermirrorfilm.com/" target="_blank">"The Paper Mirror: Drawing Alison Bechdel."</a> Lehrer, a Chicago-based disabled artist famous for her stunning portraits of disabled luminaries such as Nomy Lamm, Bill "Crutchmaster" Shannon and Neil Marcus spent two years creating an equally captivating portrait of Bechdel. This process was thankfully chronicled by filmmaker Charissa King-O'Brien.</p>
<p><em>The Paper Mirror</em> documents the collaborative efforts between these fascinating women, capturing an intimate point of transition for Bechdel as she's facing a radical turning point in her career. Celebrated for her <a href="http://dykestowatchoutfor.com/dtwof" target="_blank">Dykes To Watch Out For</a> comics (which originated the simple yet genius <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLF6sAAMb4s" target="_blank">"Bechdel Test"</a> for identifying gender bias in movies), and the haunting yet humorous graphic memoir "Fun Home," Bechdel yearned to diversify her subject matter yet struggled with completing the follow up to her acclaimed tragicomic.&nbsp;<em>The Paper Mirror</em> provides a glimpse into the life of an artist at a crossroads, and examines complex issues pertinent to both women like queer culture, beauty and disability. Lehrer's artwork is noted for its exploration of corporeal themes and&nbsp;is deeply informed by the richness of disability culture; Bechdel has <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CBdhxVFEGc" target="_blank">well-documented Obsessive Compulsive Disorder,</a> which influences her meticulous drawing practices.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.thepapermirrorfilm.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Paper Mirror</em> </a>is currently screening at several film festivals, and has a scheduled release date for this summer. If you can't make it to any screenings and need a Bechdel fix, you can purchase her latest graphic memoir, <a href="http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9780618982509-0" target="_blank">Are You My Mother? here</a>. To view more of Riva Lehrer's incredible paintings and drawings, <a href="http://www.rivalehrer.com/r/frameset.html" target="_blank">visit her website</a>.</p>
<p><em>Photo of Alison Bechdel by Riva Lehrer.&nbsp;</em></p>
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<p><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/50499923" width="400" height="300" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></p>
http://bitchmagazine.org/post/tales-from-the-crip-the-paper-mirror-drawing-alison-bechdel#commentsAlison BechdelartBechdel Testbill shannonCharissa King-O’Briendisabilitydykes to watch out forFun Homeneil marcusnomy lammobsessive compulsive disorderqueerRiva LehrerTales from the cripThe Paper MirrorMoviesThu, 25 Oct 2012 16:56:08 +0000Caitlin Wood19541 at http://bitchmagazine.orgOn Our Radarhttp://bitchmagazine.org/post/on-our-radar-draft-11
<div>Here's what we've been reading (and watching, and thinking about) this week.</div>
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<li>Have you been reading Ladydrawers' <a href="http://www.truth-out.org/ladydrawers-alison-bechdel-interview-part-2/1320762325">interview comic with Alison Bechdel</a>? Catch up with part two of three over at <em>Truth Out</em>.</li>
<li>Women's Media Center writes about Ibtihaj Muhammad's<a href="http://womensmediacenter.com/blog/2011/11/exclusive-in-fencers-hijab%E2%80%94struggle-and-inspiration/"> journey to become the first women to compete for the U.S. Olympic team wearing a headscarf</a>.</li>
<li>In the "Something actually good occuring at Penn State this week" category, <a href="http://www.revolutionbythebook.akpress.org/angela-davis-eric-stanley-on-captive-genders/">Angela Davis and Eric Stanley spoke</a> about Stanley's new anthology, <em><a href="http://www.akpress.org/2011/items/captivegenders">Captive Genders: Trans Embodiment and the Prison Industrial Complex.</a></em> (Thanks Toshio!)</li>
<li><em>Ms.</em> Magazine <a href="http://msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2011/11/09/net-neutrality-attack-would-stifle-womens-voices/">writes on the importance of net neutrality</a>—and how lucky we are that Obama vetoed it.</li>
<li>Sady Doyle <a href="http://rookiemag.com/2011/11/in-defense-of-spice-girls/">gives the Spice Girls a second chance</a>&nbsp;over at <em>Rookie</em>.</li>
<li>Dahlia Lithwick writes about and the old-school misogyny and <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2011/11/herman_cain_s_conservative_defenders_are_going_totally_overboard.single.html">the frightening new-school sexual harassment denial</a>&nbsp;surrounding the Herman Cain scandals.</li>
<li>Maxwell Zachs <a href="http://maxwellzachs.blogspot.com/2011/11/why-my-transsexual-summer-isnt-as-good.html">weighs the pros and cons of the new BBC series</a>, <em>My Transsexual Summer</em>.</li>
<li>We're still taking who-to-follow recommendations for Twitter! Leave your suggestions in the comments. </li>
</ul>
<p>Tell us what you think and what you've been reading in the comments below!</p>
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http://bitchmagazine.org/post/on-our-radar-draft-11#commentsAlison BechdelAngela DavisHerman Cainnet neutralityOlympicssexual harassmentThe Spice GirlsBitch HQFri, 11 Nov 2011 19:10:26 +0000Mac Pogue13568 at http://bitchmagazine.orgTelevIsm: The Bechdel Spectrumhttp://bitchmagazine.org/post/televism-the-bechdel-spectrum
<p>If you're on a site about feminist response to pop culture (spoiler alert: you are), you have probably heard of the <a href="http://bechdeltest.com/" rel="nofollow">Bechdel Test</a> for movies. Conceived in Alison Bechdel's <i>Dykes To Watch Out For</i>, the test is simple: to pass, the movie in question must feature a conversation between two named female characters that is not about a man. It's a good indication of whether or not a film is at all concerned with women, or if its focus is entirely on men. It's deceptively simple; upon hearing this for the first time, I thought "well, surely almost every film must pass!" But no.</p>
<p>While I am not the movie writer in residence here (check out <a href="/profile/snarkysmachine" rel="nofollow">Snarky's archive</a> for that!) I've found that it's easily applicable to other forms of media, including television! It's not a standard I apply to every single episode of every single television show I watch, but more of something that occurs to me while I'm watching. "Oh," I'll think while watching Tami and Tyra talk about college on <i>Friday Night Lights</i>. "This episode clearly passes the Bechdel test! Awesome!" The Bechdel test is <b>not a way to tell whether or not a show is feminist</b>—that depends on the viewer's interpretation of the show and their definition of feminism—but it's a good way to gauge the development and value of female characters on the show.</p>
<p>But one conversation in one episode doesn't bear the same importance to the entire series as one conversation in a movie. A movie is usually 90 to 120 minutes, but a show? A single episode is 43 minutes long, but a season is usually a minimum of 300 minutes. While a three-minute conversation about something other than a man has weight in a movie, it doesn't quite cut it for a series.</p>
<p>So if one conversation in one episode doesn't cut it, what does? How does a television show pass the Bechdel test? <b>To fully pass the Bechdel test, every single episode must feature a conversation between two named female characters that is not about a man. </b></p>
<p>This may sound stringent, and it is. Off the top of my head, I can barely think of a show that would easily pass this. But at the same time, it's not unreasonable. One 30-second conversation about mothers, or daughters, or female friends, or goals, or cleaning, or even Applebee's, in every 22 or 30 or 43 or 60 minute episode is not that hard of a requirement to satisfy. And the fact that this demand is completely out of line with what's actually on television is an indication of the shitty state of television as much as whether any of these shows are well concerned with women—much like the film industry. But since no television shows can really pass this test, how can we look at how well they do relative to other shows?</p>
<p>Unlike movies, which pass or do not pass, television shows exist on a Bechdel spectrum. No conversations between women not about men ever would be at the very dim end of the spectrum. And at the almost unrealistically bright end of the spectrum is the standard outlined above.</p>
<p>At the low end are series with none to few qualifying conversations. Most shows will have an episode or two that pass—I'm pretty sure I've seen a stray episode of <a href="/post/televism-the-offensive-olympics-family-guy" rel="nofollow"><i>Family Guy</i></a> in which Lois says something horrible about Meg that doesn't have anything to do directly with men. Some of my favorite shows fall on this end: <a href="/post/televism-how-can-jokes-both-show-and-fight-oppression" rel="nofollow"><i>The Office</i></a> has some decent lady characters, but it's mostly about dudes—I can't offhand think of any episodes that pass the Bechdel test despite having seen the entire run of the show multiple times. Shows with a couple of even cardboard regular female characters will inevitably have some kind of conversation after a long enough run. </p>
<p>Shows that are patriarchal in nature—centered around the stories of men—do not necessarily disregard women altogether and fall nearer the middle of the Bechdel spectrum. <i>Friday Night Lights</i> and <i>King of the Hill</i> (two of my favorite shows) are primarily about the work, friendships, and lives of men, but treat the women in those men's lives with respect and consideration, and develop their lives and interests independent of their husbands, sons, and boyfriends. <i>Lost</i> definitely had some Bechdel passing episodes early on, but <a href="/post/televism-spoiler-alert-lost-is-heteronormative" rel="nofollow">as it became more and more heteronormative</a>, it had less and less conversations between women that weren't about husbands, lovers, fathers, or sons.</p>
<p>Nearest to the bright end of the spectrum are shows that are primarily concerned with the lives and work of women—those that make a point of focusing centrally on female characters. <a href="http://www.deeplyproblematic.com/search/label/mad%20men" rel="nofollow"><i>Mad Men</i></a> is a good example of this; though it's set in a world that explicitly belongs to men, Peggy, Joan, and Betty frequently have conversations about work, mothers, daughters, religion, and themselves. <i>Weeds</i> was a very effective example of this in its excellent first three seasons: when the point of Nancy's character was her resourcefulness and not her sex appeal, she often had interesting conversations with Celia and Heylia. These shows don't always pass the Bechdel test, but do pass at a much greater rate than typical television fare.</p>
<p>But centralizing a show around a woman does not a guarantee it'll be <i>Parks and Rec</i>: <a href="http://www.deeplyproblematic.com/2009/10/ableism-in-30-rock.html" rel="nofollow"><i>30 Rock</i>'s</a> Liz Lemon rarely has lady-centered conversations with the only other regular female character on the show, Jenna.</p>
<p>So what does the bright end of the spectrum look like? What show is concerned heavily enough with women that it passes the Bechdel test in every episode? I can only think of two as of this writing: <i>The L Word</i> and <i>United States of Tara</i>. Though it's got the occasional dude, <i>The L Word</i> would fail pretty hard at being a show about lady-loving ladies if it didn't pass. <a href="/post/televism-ableism-appropriation-and-united-states-of-tara" rel="nofollow">While I critiqued USOT pretty heavily for its ableism a few weeks ago</a>, it's still a show I deeply enjoy for the thoughtful relationships it's developed between the protagonist and her sister and daughter. </p>
<p>Where do your favorite shows fall on the Bechdel spectrum? Which series fail and which succeed on this scale?</p>
http://bitchmagazine.org/post/televism-the-bechdel-spectrum#commentsAlison BechdeltelevisiontelevismTVThu, 05 Aug 2010 17:56:43 +0000RMJ4779 at http://bitchmagazine.org